magnet not pulling

[GingerCat]

I had a bad day with the rotary on Saturday with the magnet. Just didn't pull em,nothing did to be fair. Was in the only cut barley for a fair distance and they would either drop on the other side of the field or go to some just planted planted cabbage. Loads of grain on the floor too. I moved position and the pigeons moved to. Checked the hide and pattern. Changed it around but it wasn't happening. I got 4 and 2 of them were ferals. That was after a 3 hour journey to lincs as well,still got somewhere down here now so thin are looking up.

Was thinking there is so much food about that they can be picky.

[Fisherman Mike]

i have took my magnet out every outing pigeon shooting this year and it has ot pulled birds once yet i have tryed it in different places and everything the area im shooting the birds have not seen a magnet much so carnt be that. all what are working for me at the moment are flapper. Is anyone else experiancing this ? or does anyone know why it might be? from what i have found out my self the magnet works in the winter time but not very oftern in the summer weird

 

 

Try painting out the white wing bars of the Flying decoys and see how you get on...

 

There is some school of thought amongst us ornithologists that suggects when pigeons lift off on mass from feeding feilds the wing feathers are spread more prominantly to display the white flashes as a warning signal.

 

So you might be inadvertantly putting them off rather than attracting them.

 

Consider the two attached photos.

 

The birds in flight the wing bars are clearly visible...

 

But in feeding mode they are hardly noticeable.

 

I have repainted some of my Fullbodied decoys to be as close to the real thing as possible and now mainly use floaters on long wands.. ( with the bars greyed out )

 

I dont seem to have much problem bringing them in if they are about and feeding on the field Im decoying

 

 

Sorry cant seem to upload the photos. but do a google image search and you will see what I mean

Edited September 2, 2012 by Fisherman Mike

[motty]

Try painting out the white wing bars of the Flying decoys and see how you get on...

 

There is some school of thought amongst us ornithologists that suggects when pigeons lift off on mass from feeding feilds the wing feathers are spread more prominantly to display the white flashes as a warning signal.

 

So you might be inadvertantly putting them off rather than attracting them.

 

Consider the two attached photos.

 

The birds in flight the wing bars are clearly visible...

 

But in feeding mode they are hardly noticeable.

 

I have repainted some of my Fullbodied decoys to be as close to the real thing as possible and now mainly use floaters on long wands.. ( with the bars greyed out )

 

I dont seem to have much problem bringing them in if they are about and feeding on the field Im decoying

 

 

Sorry cant seem to upload the photos. but do a google image search and you will see what I mean

I don't believe that at all. Surely there is no difference between the wing bars when a bird is coming in to land than a bird that is exiting a field.

[Fisherman Mike]

I don't believe that at all. Surely there is no difference between the wing bars when a bird is coming in to land than a bird that is exiting a field.

 

 

Give it a try..

 

The big difference is that Pigeons already on the feed spot will not see the wing flashes of overhead birds flighting into land....

 

Prominant Flashes and bars on a birds plumage has evolved for a reason.

 

As male and female pigeons are identical it would perhaps seem more likely that the wing bars are more as a form of communication rather than courtship.

Edited September 3, 2012 by Fisherman Mike

[JDog]

I am not sure about the importance of incoming pigeons seeing wing bars although that is what I see when viewing through binoculars at birds going in to land.

 

What I am sure about is the importance of incomers seeing heads and necks of birds on the ground, particularly the white collar and especially in stubble.

[chrispti]

What I am sure about is the importance of incomers seeing heads and necks of birds on the ground, particularly the white collar and especially in stubble.

 

I used to put birds heads up on skewers and use the wire dead bird cradles.

 

Now I just leave the dead birds flat on the ground, as I havent really noticed any significant benefit in having the birds heads up.

[swingit]

I used to put birds heads up on skewers and use the wire dead bird cradles.

 

Now I just leave the dead birds flat on the ground, as I havent really noticed any significant benefit in having the birds heads up.

 

I'm with you on that one mate.

 

Swingit

[motty]

Give it a try..

 

The big difference is that Pigeons already on the feed spot will not see the wing flashes of overhead birds flighting into land....

 

Prominant Flashes and bars on a birds plumage has evolved for a reason.

 

As male and female pigeons are identical it would perhaps seem more likely that the wing bars are more as a form of communication rather than courtship.

So you're saying that if i have a floater/magnet/flapper in my decoy pattern showing the wing bars, then incoming birds will be put off. Correct?

[Fisherman Mike]

So you're saying that if i have a floater/magnet/flapper in my decoy pattern showing the wing bars, then incoming birds will be put off. Correct?

 

 

Might be...give it a try and see if it makes a difference to you..... I have definately noticed that "flare offs" are much reduced...when pigeons are feeding how many times does a bird flighting in to feed see the wing bars of a pigeon already landed and feeding....

 

Answer: Never....

 

How many times does a pigeon see two pigeons chasing each other round and round in an 8ft circle

 

Answer; Never....

 

When pigeons are feeding they generally walk. ( peckers and wobblers are good)

 

Correct ?

Edited September 5, 2012 by Fisherman Mike

[motty]

Might be...give it a try and see if it makes a difference to you..... I have definately noticed that "flare offs" are much reduced...when pigeons are feeding how many times does a bird flighting in to feed see the wing bars of a pigeon already landed and feeding....

 

Answer: Never....

 

How many times does a pigeon see two pigeons chasing each other round and round in an 8ft circle

 

Answer; Never....

 

When pigeons are feeding they generally walk. ( peckers and wobblers are good)

 

Correct ?

Sorry, but you're wrong on this one. I've seen pigeons feeding on a field get up briefly and flutter forwards. This hasn't put off incoming birds.

I've never seen pigeons fly round in circles, that's true. I've also never seen pigeons suspended two feet from the ground, either (when on cradles).

Pigeons are pretty stupid. I have shot over 100 pigeons in a day on many occasions. I'm pretty sure that each time i've done this i used a magnet. Surely if pigeons were so put off by seeing the wing bars of their pals, i would never have shot any. Pigeons are used to seeing their mate's wing bars when they land - they follow them in to the field and do the same!

[JDog]

I believe that I have become too reliant on the magnet, but I must confess it has usually worked in bringing pigeons into the pattern where I want them.

 

This afternoon I will be going out onto a wheat stubble where there are several flight lines crossing the field but only birds on two of them ever descend into the field to feed. The other flight line is very complicated and the pigeons end up travelling almost 1km to feed on a barley stubble.

 

As an experiment I will not be putting out the rotary when I set up but I may resort to it if I cannot get birds to decoy as I want them to. I will report later.

[chrispti]

Remember the magnet is not some magical device that pulls in pigeons.

 

It may pull some young birds off of a flight line, but if the birds are feeding some way away in another field, then thats where you need to be.

 

The magnet will then work, as the birds entering their feeding ground, will fly to where the rest of the birds are feeding, which is what the decoys, magnets, flappers etc replicate....

Edited September 6, 2012 by chrispti

[JDog]

An inconclusive report

 

As promised a blow by blow report!

 

I was set up by 1:30 and there were no birds flighting anywhere for an hour so my 'magnet or no magnet' experiment was null and void.

 

By 2:30 birds were flighting but few came into the decoy pattern, choosing to skirt it presenting 35-40m shots. I had ten in the next hour.

 

At 3:30 I put the magnet out, actually outside the pattern. The pigeons did the same skirting the pattern thing but some did come in and there were more flighting and in the next hour I shot eighteen.

 

Needless to say an inconclusive excercise but isn't that what pigeon shooting is all about? If we knew how to decoy them close in to a decoy pattern every time it wouldn't be as much fun. It is the 'not knowing' and the anticipation which I enjoy.

[rapid basher]

for the last 8months i haveint drawed a pigeon in with mine

and fineily got fed up last week with it and the heavy car battrey

so left the bat in the feild for the farmer for electric fenceing and left

the wirly tucked under a oaktree will pick it up on a later trip

simple bouncers and decoys work fine and i think thats how il keep it from now on

[shootnfish]

magnet is one of the best bits of kit i have as i said in an earlier post 95% of the time i use it with good results when it dont work nothingelse works either. people that say they hardly ever work when they use thiers must have it in the wrong place or not set at the right speed.

[woodpigeon100]

Hi

 

I always use the magnet summer or winter but there are a few things needed to guarantee success.

 

Firstly I paint mine with mud every time I set it up., I use a shaving brush and little pop bottle. Bang your heel down to make a small depression and mix a bit of dust/mud to a cream then coat the entire machine - less than two minutes and its totaly matt even in bright sun. ( I think this is why some people say they dont work in summer).

 

Secondly put your magnet upwind 20m of the decoys so they dont have to fly over it. If it's one of those days when they want to land on it you can always move it back in front of the hide.

 

Shooting pigeons is never 100% but I can honestly say taking down a magnet has never once improved things if its not working well.

 

Good luck

 

Mike

[mossy835]

i used sillo sock decoys,and got a few in, now i use 23 shell decoys just on sticks, not noticed any diference.

[SPARKIE]

I have great success from my magnet..... a few things you can do to improve there pulling ability are ......cover in cloth camo tape to stop the powder coating from glinting in the sun....cover the battery and pole in long grass from the hedgerow......fit a speed control to slow them down they spin to fast sometimes and can put birds of.....and use dead birds on the arms.

 

try these to get good results.

[motty]

A little tip here when using pigeon magnets - don't take them down too soon!

Yesterday i was shooting on a field of barley stubble after seeing around 800 pigeons feeding on it. I was set up by around 9.30 am. The pigeons early on wanted nothing to do with my pattern (fuds, flocked shells and a magnet) but i left it as it was, only adding a dead bird here and there.

By 1pm i had only shot around 30 birds - still not decoying, although there were pigeons everywhere.

Slowly but surely the birds started decoying in textbook fashion, and i started scoring heavily.

A novice may have started tinkering with the pattern, taking the magnet in and trying other things, when the problem was that the pigeons weren't ready to come in.

I have had this scenario before and have learned that things don't necessarily need to be changed, and sometimes no matter how much pattern altering you do, if the birds don't want to come in, they won't!

I ended the session at just after 4pm with 123 pigeons.

[motty]

Two pigeon magnets were used yesterday on the way to a bag of 231. They still work.

[derekbomag]

You don't want the magnet running to slow and I always use mind on its own with no decoys some times use odd boucers

[corvid wings]

never be in a rush to get the magnet out . i usually start without first ,see what the state of play is how the birds are decoying ,my plan is always get the birds in the field first,if birds shy away from my magnet i could move it 100 or even 200 yards away from the pattern get them in the field and let the pattern do it's work ,if they shy away from the magnet when it's 200 yards away they usually end up coming into the pattern as they want in .always insuring you magnet is not shiney and flashing like a light house on every rotation .camo tape does a good job of stopping that affect as does army matt green paint and mud .but every outing is different ,live and learn

[brent52]

i think you can have too much going on when decoying + the hassle of carrying it at long way, it may sound daft but iv'e had some big bags this summer just sat in the hedge on my swivel bucket seat , no hide just full cammo on & twenty shells in my gamebag, i just keep still until i shoot

[cooooper1]

for me the only time i find the magnet works is in summer wheat fields where the wheat as been flattened by crows and pigeon(mainly crows),where you find flattened areas in wheat fields i just set up 2 bouncers and right in the middle 2 flappers with dead birds and the magnet always as far forward up wind as i can.

i`ve tried magnets over rape and stubble with little to no joy so in keep to fud`s and flappers, i`m clad i bought the magnet even if only for just them days over flattened wheat in so called summer days,

pigeon are wild birds one day suicidal the next 3miles up at 120 mph,most probs thats what gets us all going back for more.

[Mud monkey]

Have read this post an replies, agree with most of what's said, I'm of the school now where I use my magnet of my main decoy pattern as far as fifty yards usually up wind if possible, they are however really good when needing to draw birds attention from some way off. If I'm forced to shoot same area two days running. Try magnet. An even if successful change next day out. Flappers an bouncers. I've rarely. Found pigeon fooled. On same area with same set up two or three days running. But as you have all said some days they work. Some days they scare em.